


Trapped

by BlueTeamSucks



Category: Red vs. Blue
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Stuck in an elevator together, modern day AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-10
Updated: 2014-10-10
Packaged: 2018-02-20 14:05:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,918
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2431541
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlueTeamSucks/pseuds/BlueTeamSucks
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Church quickly glanced up from his phone as another guy rushed into the elevator and pushed a couple of buttons. He looked back down at Tucker's texts as the elevator lurched and started its crawl upwards. He swore that this thing went slower every day.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Trapped

Church quickly glanced up from his phone as another guy rushed into the elevator and pushed a couple of buttons. He looked back down at Tucker's texts as the elevator lurched and started its crawl upwards. He swore that this thing went slower every day.

"Did you push a button?" The other guy asked excitedly. He bounced a couple of times, making the old elevator shake. Church gripped one of the handrails tightly.

The guy was taller than Church by a mile. He looked like he went to the gym often and he was well tanned. He had dark hair that stuck up in every direction. His long eyelashes framed happy, blue eyes. His lips were curved upward in a grin, revealing perfectly straight, white teeth.

"Uhh, yeah. I'm on floor three," Church said, an eyebrow raised. There was no way somebody could look that good. He suddenly felt self conscious of his scrawny self. He was taller than most people, but obviously not this guy.

The guy nodded and stared at the rows of buttons. "Number three is already yellow."

Church raised his other eyebrow. "That's because I just pressed it."

"Oh. Okay! I'm on floor three too! I just moved there!" He grinned enthusiastically at Church.

Church stared blankly at him. "Then why did you push floors four and two?"

The guy made a "duh" face. "Because it makes the ride last longer! And I like the color yellow. Blue is my favorite color, though. What's your favorite color?"

Church could feel a headache coming on. He seriously hoped that this guy wasn't his new neighbor. At this point, he would have preferred the drunk who had lived there before. "My favorite color is blue, too," he droned as the elevator doors shuddered open, then closed again. One more floor. Just one more floor.

"Wow! We're like twins! We should-" He was cut off by an unnerving groaning noise, then stillness. The old elevator had finally broken down with Church and a stranger in it. The dim lights flickered, then shut off completely. The other guy didn't say anything.

"Fuck," Church swore. He pulled his phone from his pocket and switched on the flashlight app. He squinted at the sudden brightness and set his phone down on the floor, lighting up the whole elevator.

The guy sniffed loudly and Church looked over at him. He looked like he was on the verge of tears, with watery eyes and a wobbling lip.

"Please don't cry," Church gave him a pleading look. He had just come from a particularly frustrating day at work and he didn't know if he could handle being trapped in an elevator with a crying mess.

Tears started to stream down his face the moment Church spoke. He sniffled quietly for a moment as Church stared, feeling a little bit guilty. With a sigh, Church sat down on the elevator floor and patted the empty space next to him. "Why don't you sit down? It looks like we're going to be in here for awhile."

"Okay." He sat down heavily next to Church, making the whole elevator rock. He stopped sobbing, but his nose still ran. Church wished that he had a tissue.

"I'm Leonard Church. Just call me Church. What's your name?" Church grimaced at his first name. He had been named after his dad and he didn't want any association with him.

"Michael J. Caboose."

"Well, Caboose, I guess we're trapped in here together. You just moved in, right? I think your apartment is right next to mine." Church tried to make Caboose cheer up a bit. Fortunately for him, that seemed like a pretty easy thing to do.

Caboose grinned at him. "Really? Oh, boy! I'm so excited! Church, we can have sleepovers! And movie nights! And we can ride horses together! This is going to be so much fun, we're already best friends! Right, Church?"

Church gaped at him. "Uhh..." Caboose looked at him, expectantly nodding. Church sighed in resignation. "Sure, buddy. Whatever makes you happy."

"Yay! Can we play I Spy?" Caboose asked, looking hopeful.

Church blinked in surprise, then nodded, feeling grateful for the topic change. "I spy with my little eye something... Gray."

Caboose looked around, searching for anything gray. After ten seconds of staring, he shrugged. "Okay, I give up. What was it?"

"The wall."

"Wow, you're really good at this game. Okay, my turn. I spy with my little eye something that's a pretty green color!" Caboose stared right at him. Church glanced around the small space, not noticing anything that was green, except for the vomit green carpet and he didn't think it was the "pretty green" that Caboose was describing.

Church shook his head. "I don't know."

Caboose smiled happily. "Your eyes, silly! Your turn!"

Church blinked, then felt his cheeks warm as he looked away. He tried to ignore the way Caboose looked at him, with those big, blue eyes and that wide grin. "I spy something that's a pretty blue color."

"Is it my eyes?" Caboose asked, looking hopeful.

"Yeah, it was. Good job, buddy," Church smiled back. He caught himself, then scowled at his lap.

There were two loud thuds on the elevator door. A firefighter's face appeared as the doors were pried open. "Everybody okay?"

"Yes! Thank God!" Church jumped up. As a last thought, he snatched his phone up from the floor and turned off the bright flashlight.

Caboose clutched at his arm once the source of light was gone. They were able to crawl out onto their floor with the help of the firman.

"Thanks, dude. It was starting to get really warm in there," Church nodded at the firman. He gave them both a thumbs up as he ushered them away.

Caboose didn't let go of Church's arm as they walked down the hall. "Can we have a sleepover tonight, Church? Pleeeeaaaasssseeee?"

Church opened his mouth to say no, but he made the mistake of looking up at Caboose, who was giving Church his best puppy dog eyes. Church's usually cold heart melted and he nodded numbly. "Sure. Why don't you go get your stuff from your place and I'll set up a movie for us to watch."

"Yay!" Caboose clapped happily. "Can we watch How to Train Your Dragon?"

"Yeah, I'll rent it or something," Church said before he could stop himself. He knew that he was signing up for a night of cartoons and sleeplessness, but for some reason, he didn't really mind.

Caboose rushed to his new apartment to change into pajamas and grab his things. Church let himself into his own place and switched on the lights. He dragged the couch cushions onto the ground in front of his TV and put blankets and pillows on top of them. Church started to pop some popcorn in the microwave just as there was a knock on the door.

"Come in!" He called out as the microwave beeped loudly.

Caboose wandered in and put a bag of stuff down next to the door. "Hello, Church! I'm ready for our sleepover!"

Church looked over at him and smirked. Caboose was wearing dinosaur pajamas, the kind that kids wear. He had a blue pillow tucked under his arm and was staring at Church's set up. "Is that where we're sleeping?"

"Yeah. I'm grabbing some snacks and shit, then we can watch How to Do Your Dragon or whatever." Church grabbed the bowl of popcorn out of the microwave and set it on the counter. As a last thought, he searched his fridge for some apple juice and found two boxes.

"How to _Train_ Your Dragon, silly!" Caboose dropped down onto oneqq of the couch cushions as Church walked into the room. He set their popcorn on his coffee table and tossed Caboose a carton of apple juice. It bounced off of his chest and fell into his lap.

Church fiddled with the TV for a minute while Caboose anxiously waited. Once he had bought the damn thing and figured out how to play it, he leaned back. Caboose happily giggled and sat cross legged, intently staring at the TV as the movie started.

One hour and thirty eight minutes later, Church sat back in amazement. "Okay, that was actually pretty good. Do you want to watch the sequel now, or what? ...Caboose?"

He turned looked down at Caboose, whose head had been in his lap for the last half of the movie. He was sound asleep and was curled into a ball on the cousins. Church gently moved his head to one of the nearby pillows and wrapped a blanket around him. He mumbled something in his sleep and curled an arm tightly around Church's waist.

Church went to push him off, but was stopped by Caboose's soft snores. He sighed in resignation and settled back against the makeshift bed. He pulled his own blanket over himself, Caboose seemed like the type to steal blankets.

Caboose's arm was warm against his stomach as he was pulled closer. Church tried to close his eyes and sleep, but he was distracted by the way that Caboose would grumble a few words out, then sigh in his sleep. Church's heart melted a bit and he swallowed nervously when he realized that he was practically tucked against Caboose's chest.

This was so gay. This could not get anymore gay. This was the gayest thing he had ever done in his life. If Tucker saw this, he would never let Church live it down. If Texas saw this, then she would make snide comments about his true feelings and no wonder he had been okay with her dumping him. And if either of them found out that he actually liked it, then he couldn't imagine what they would even say.

Thoughts of his friends eventually drifted away as Caboose breathed deeply in his ear. It was rhythmic and actually relaxing. Church felt his eyes droop and he didn't try to stop himself from leaning even closer to the guy that he had just met that day.

Church opened his eyes and squinted at the loud noise coming from his TV. Some random cartoon was playing on it, happy music making his ears bleed. He groaned and rolled over into someone soft. He nearly jumped, then remembered Caboose.

"Good morning, Church!"

"Why."

"I made cereal! Do you want some?"

Church looked up the hopeful smile Caboose was giving him. He sighed. "Sure. What kind?" He sat up, running a hand through his messy, dark hair.

A bowl was placed in his lap. "Orange juice and lucky charms!"

Church nearly gagged from looking at the monstrosity in front of him. Soggy pieces of cereal and discolored, half-dissolved marshmallows floated in something that had once been orange. "Oh... Wow, Caboose. That looks... Delicious."

"Really?" Caboose grinned widely. He set his own bowl on the coffee table and motioned for Church to start eating.

Church held his breath and quickly put a spoonful of the breakfast into his mouth. He somehow managed to chew it and swallow it without throwing up. He gave Caboose a thumbs up as he tried to figure out a way to get out of eating more. "Hey, buddy! Do you like cinnamon rolls? Because I know a bakery that makes the best!"

Caboose bounced up. "Yes! Synonym rolls! Let's go!" He tugged on Church's arm excitedly.

Church laughed. "Why don't we get dressed first?"

"Oh! Good idea!" Caboose frowned. "I left my clothes at my new house. Can I go get them?"

Church struggled to stand up. "Yeah, go ahead."

"Promise that you won't leave without me?"

"Yeah, yeah. Go get dressed."

Caboose sped out of the room. Church figured that he had less than five minutes to get ready, so he didn't bother shaving or fixing his hair. A little stubble never killed anyone and his hair always looked messy no matter what he did to it. He fought to pull on skinny jeans and a huge hoodie he found in a pile on his bedroom floor.

Just as he started to tie his shoes, Caboose burst back into his house, completely shirtless. Church gawked as Caboose put on a dark blue shirt. "Okay! I'm ready to go now!"

Church knotted his laces and stood up. "Let's go. It's not that far of a walk, just barely across the street."

Caboose nodded and held the door open for him. They walked down the hallway until they reached the elevator. Church paused when Caboose sucked in a nervous breath.

"Do you want to take the stairs, buddy?" Church pointed to the heavy door that led to the scary flight of stairs. At least it was better than getting trapped on an elevator for the second time in a week.

"Yeah."

"Alright." Church opened the door with a little bit of a struggle, then led Caboose down the dusty stairs. They weren't that high up, so Church's legs didn't have the chance to get sore by the time they reached the bottom.

They walked across the practically empty street and into the wonderful smelling bakery. Caboose's eyes went wide once he saw the displays of pastries. He wandered over to one of the glass cases as Church walked up to the cashier.

"Hey, Donut. Can I have two cinnamon rolls?" He pulled out his wallet and handed Donut his credit card.

Donut grinned and nodded as he tapped something on his screen and swiped Church's card. "Two? You always order one. Sign, please."

Church shrugged as he signed his name on the electronic pad. Donut handed him his credit card back and pulled out a piece of wax paper. "Are you with someone?" Donut pried as he dropped a roll into a brown paper bag, then grabbed another sheet of wax paper.

"Yeah, Caboose over there. Nice guy." Church took the bag from Donut with a glare.

Donut stared at Caboose as he carefully looked over the pastries. "He's cute. Is he your boyfriend?"

Church rolled his eyes as dropped a couple of bills into the tip jar. "No. Just a friend, Donut."

Caboose bounced over to them and shot Donut a quick smile, then grabbed at the bag in Church's hands. Church pulled it away and shook his head teasingly. "Uh-uh. We have to sit down before we can eat these."

Donut bit his lip and poorly hid a grin as Caboose pulled Church over to the nearest table excitedly. "Come on! I'm hungry!"

"Didn't you already eat a whole fucking bowl of that orange juice and lucky charms bullshit?" Church rolled his eyes and handed Caboose the bigger of the two cinnamon rolls once they were sitting down.

Caboose shrugged. "I'm still hungry."

"Jesus Christ, dude." Church watched as Caboose tore into the roll. He started to eat his own, sighing at the taste. Red Bakery always managed to make the best stuff. "Have you ever come here before?"

"No. I will now though! This is really yummy!" Caboose mumbled over a mouthful of crumbs.

Church laughed to himself, then handed Caboose a napkin. "Good plan. I usually come here every morning before I go to work."

Caboose suddenly looked curious. "Where do you work?"

"I work the front desk at Freelancer's Gym. Pretty boring, I know." Church shrugged as he finished off his roll. He wiped his mouth with a napkin and leaned back in his chair.

Caboose tilted his head to the side. "Can I work there? I need a job, too!"

"I'll ask around to see if there are any positions open, buddy. What would you want to do? Be an instructor? 'Cause you're pretty ripped." Church poked Caboose's bicep teasingly. Caboose actually fucking blushed.

He shrugged sheepishly, looking down at his lap. "I don't think that I'd be very good at teaching people."

Church frowned for a moment, then he had an idea. "I think they need a cashier at the healthy food snack bar thing they just opened up. Why don't you come in with me on Monday and you can apply then?"

Caboose bounced in his chair happily. "Really, Church? You would do that for me? You're my best friend!"

Church grinned as Caboose started chattering about work. He stared at Caboose's expressions as he talked, barely listening to what he was saying. Whenever Caboose would pause, Church nodded and made noises of affirmation.

"Church? You guys done yet? We kinda need the table and you've been here for awhile." Church was prodded by a wide eyed Simmons.

Church jumped and looked up. The bakery had gotten pretty busy without him noticing. Church nodded and motioned for Caboose to follow him. "Yeah! We'll leave. Sorry, Simmons."

"You're fine," Simmons said. Caboose and Church hurriedly left and walked outside. A glance at his phone told Church that it was almost noon and he had agreed to go out with Tucker.

"Sorry, buddy. I need to go meet someone for lunch in a few minutes. I'll see you later, alright?" Church playfully punched Caboose on the shoulder. Caboose smiled and headed back to their apartment building. Church couldn't help but feel a little bit bad about leaving as he jogged to the Panera's that he had agreed to meet Tucker at.

Luckily, this place wasn't too far away from his apartment building. He was only five minutes late by the time he got there, a record for him. Tucker was waiting at a table by the door with two sandwiches. Church slid into the seat across from him. "Hey."

Tucker looked up in surprise. "Dude, that was fast for you. Congrats."

Church rolled his eyes and bit into the sandwich that Tucker had gotten for him. "Shut up."

"So, what was up with you last night? You suddenly stopped texting me in the middle of our conversation." Tucker raised an eyebrow.

Church snorted. "You're never gonna believe me." He launched into an explanation of meeting Caboose and being trapped in an elevator with him. He mentioned the movie night, but purposefully left out the gay stuff. He explained coming from Red Bakery just ten minutes ago.

"Wow, busy day, huh?" Tucker laughed.

"Yeah. How's Junior, by the way? Still sick?" Church remembered Tucker being stressed out and worrying about taking his kid to the doctor.

Tucker wrinkled his nose at the thought. "No, dude. He's better now, he went to school yesterday. He's at home watching cartoons right now."

Church was reminded of being woken up by cartoons. He sighed, suddenly thinking about Caboose again.

"Church?" He was interrupted by Tucker waving a hand in front of his face. "Dude, are you even listening to me?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah. Sorry, totally zoned out there for a minute. What'd you say?" Church finished his sandwich as he tried to listen intently to Tucker.

Tucker scoffed. "I was saying that I was thinking about hiring a personal trainer. I spend too much time on the couch while Junior's at school. Any recommendations?"

Church blinked in surprise. "You... Want to work out? Are you okay? Is someone forcing you to say that? Tucker, blink twice if you or your son is in danger."

Tucker rolled his eyes in exasperation. "Shut the fuck up, asshole. I just want to get buff alright? The ladies love guys with muscle."

"Yeah, whatever." Church grinned to himself at the thought of Tucker actually exercising. It seemed almost impossible to imagine it.

"So? Do you know anyone who would be good for me? Preferably a hot chick." Tucker winked at Church.

Church laughed loudly. "Yeah, right. Any of the girls who work at Freelancer could rip you apart if you so much as looked at them, Tucker. One of the guys would probably be better for you, they're a little bit less intense."

Tucker shrugged. "It was worth a shot. Who should I ask for?"

Church thought about it. "Maine is too much for you. North isn't strict enough for such a lazy person. York would just talk to you the whole time. Wyoming's an asshole and Florida's... Well, he's Florida. So, Washington would be best for you. He's nicer than Carolina, but not as nice as North. He wouldn't let you slack off."

"Thanks." Tucker snickered. "I'll be sure to talk to him. I'll come in on Monday."

"Yeah, I'll believe it when I see it."

Tucker stretched back in his seat, then threw away his trash in the nearest trash can. "I should go. Don't want to leave Junior alone for too long."

Church stood up. "Alright. See ya!" They walked out the door together and parted ways.

It wasn't until Church was getting ready on Monday morning that he remembered about Caboose and Tucker going to his workplace on the same day. He mentally groaned as he threw on a T-shirt and ran his fingers through his hair.

There was a knock at his door as Church wolfed down a bagel. He didn't have time to stop by Red Bakery if he wanted to catch Texas early. "Come in."

Caboose walked into his apartment, looking ready for the day. "Good morning, Church!"

"Hey, Caboose. Ready to go?" Church shoved his phone, keys, and wallet into his pockets.

"Yeah!"

Church led Caboose out, locking the door behind them. They jogged down the stairs and out the door. They slowed down a bit once they reached the busy sidewalks. "You nervous?" Church asked as he scrolled through his texts to Tucker, who was already on his way to the gym.

"A little. You'll help me, right?" Caboose gripped at Church's forearm.

Church looked up at him and offered a smile. "You'll be fine. Don't worry."

They reached Freelancer's Gym quickly. As Church pushed on the door, he turned to Caboose. "If anyone is mean to you, just tell me. I'll either yell at them or revoke their membership. Depends on who does it."

Caboose nodded and swallowed nervously as they walked in. The air smelled like chlorine and fruit. Church wrinkled his nose in distaste, like he did every Monday morning. He noticed a blonde woman standing by the front desk, sorting through papers. Her hair was tied back in a ponytail and she was wearing yoga pants and a black tank top.

"Hey, Tex. You busy?" Church leaned against the counter and winked at Caboose, who was staring at the tall ceilings.

Tex looked up from the papers. "What do you need?" She asked flatly.

Church gestured to the new snack bar. "You have anyone for that place yet? I know that I need to keep running over there to sell shit."

Tex raised an eyebrow and stared at Caboose. "He need the job?"

Church shrugged. "If you could interview him, that would be great."

Tex gave them both a curt nod. "I'm not busy at the moment. Do you have time right now?" She asked Caboose.

Caboose smiled weakly. "I have time. I think."

Church pushed him forward and pointed in the direction of Tex's office. "Go in there, buddy. I wanna talk to Texas for a second."

Tex gave him a confused look as Caboose trudged to her office. "What the hell do you want? I'm already doing you a favor."

"Go easy on him, please. He's a little... Well, he's not the sharpest tool in the shed. But I'm sure that he can operate a snack stand just fine. He's a nice guy, cute too. I mean, not in a gay way. Just in general." Church laughed nervously at his slip up.

Unfortunately for him, Tex's eyes widened in realization. "No way. You fucking like him, don't you?"

Church could feel his cheeks starting to warm. "Shut up and go interview him."

Texas laughed in disbelief. "Wow, Church. You really took our break up the heard way, didn't you?" Church didn't have time to swear and grumble before she stopped laughing and looked him in the eye. "Seriously, Church. I'm glad that you're moving on, I know that the last few months have been hard on you. You should ask him out."

"Allison, don't pity me. Go hire him." Church waved her away and took his seat at the desk.

"I'll make you a deal, _Leonard_. I'll hire him if you ask him out." Texas grinned happily at him.

Church sighed and rubbed at his temples. "Fine."

Texas happily skipped off to her office and Church allowed himself one small smile before the day started.

The door opened again. Three guys came in, talking about something Church didn't care about. They all nodded a hello at Church, who suddenly remembered that he was supposed to talk to Washington. "Hey, Wash. I wanted to ask you something really fast." He leaned up against the counter as North and York walked off to the locker room.

Washington gave Church a confused look, then walked over to the desk. "What's up?" He was wearing a gray T-shirt with yellow stripes on it and had a gym bag slung over his shoulder. His blonde hair was dark at the roots and his countless freckles barely showed against his tan skin. Church would be lying if he said that he hadn't admired Wash before on several different occasions.

"Is your schedule busy today?" Church gave Wash a big smile, hoping to suck up to him a bit. He would need Wash on his good side, since he was about to work with Tucker.

Wash shrugged. "Nah. Most people don't want to work out on Mondays. I was planning on helping North out with something, but it can wait. Why?"

"Good. My friend Tucker was thinking about hiring a personal trainer, believe it or not. I mentioned that I thought the two of you would work well together. He's coming in this morning to say hi and take a look around. If you want another client, that is." Church raised an eyebrow as Wash thought about it.

He nodded and shifted the bag on his shoulder. "Of course! Let me know when he gets here, I'll show him the ins and outs if you want."

Church nodded happily. "That'd be great. Thanks, Wash. I owe you one."

Wash headed towards the locker room and waved. "No problem, Church."

Church turned to his computer screen and started clicking around aimlessly. Half an hour and eight games of solitaire later, the customers started to come in. Church greeted them all, mostly with fake smiles, sometimes with genuine ones.

"Hey, asshole." Church looked up to find Tucker staring down at him expectantly.

Church rolled his eyes and stood up. "I'll get Wash, one sec." He jogged over to the gym entrance and caught Wash's attention from the door. Wash helped North set something down as Church went back to his seat.

"So, you're Church's friend?" Wash walked up to Tucker and smiled. "My name is Washington, call me Wash."

Tucker stared for a moment, then grinned back. "Hey. I'm Tucker." They shook hands and Church stopped paying attention to their conversation as Wash started to give Tucker the tour. They wandered off after a couple of seconds.

Church actually worked for another ten minutes, anxiously glancing at the door to Tex's office every few minutes. He was in the middle of helping a customer when the door finally opened and Caboose and Texas walked out, both of them chatting happily. Church tried to hurry the soccer mom into renewing her damn membership. Tex and Caboose walked over to the snack stand and Tex started to show Caboose around it.

The lady eventually decided on renewing her gym membership and Church sighed in relief as she walked out the door. He waved Texas and Caboose over the minute she left. Tex winked at Church as Caboose bounced to him. "Church! I got the job! I'm gonna work here with you, isn't this great? We're gonna have so much fun! Right, Church?"

Church grinned at Caboose's enthusiasm. "Yeah, buddy. Did Texas say anything?"

"Yes! Ms. Texas said a lot of things. Some of them I didn't understand and sometimes, I accidentally stopped listening. I just nodded and smiled and she seemed happy." Caboose shrugged nonchalantly, like this wasn't a problem.

Church snickered. "I do the same thing all the time, Caboose. Don't worry, you'll fit right in here." He finished filling out a form on his computer, then turned his full attention to Caboose.

"Actually, Ms. Texas said that you were supposed to ask me something. And if you didn't ask, then you were a 'fucking chicken,'" Caboose told him.

Church's jaw dropped at Caboose swearing. "You don't need to call Tex 'Ms. Texas,' dude. It'll just fuel her ego." He tried to think of a way to avoid asking Caboose out, even though he had promised Texas that he would.

Caboose nodded seriously. "Okay. I will call her Ms. Fluffy McScary."

Raising an eyebrow, Church laughed as loud as he could without attracting Tex's attention. "If you actually call her that, I will pay you."

"What was it that you wanted to ask me, Church?" Caboose tilted his head to the side and stared at Church with those big, blue eyes.

Church could feel his cheeks warming up as he shifted his gaze to his hands, which were now fiddling with a pen. "Well, I... Uh, I wanted to ask you if you would maybe want to-"

"Hey, Church. Dude, Wash is such an asshole, why the hell would you pair me with him? I saw so many hot chicks in there that I could've been with. So many." Tucker groaned and collapsed on the counter. Church jumped at Tucker's sudden appearance, then shrugged apologetically at Caboose.

To be honest, Church was kind of glad for the interruption. He sighed in exasperation and pushed Tucker off of his counter. "Sorry, man. I swear that he's great. I don't know why you think that he's an asshole."

Tucker straightened up and rolled his eyes. "Whenever I would try to look around for hot chicks or something, he would tell me to focus. And he wouldn't even let me go into their locker room! Honestly, what's the point of having a girl's locker room if they don't let guys in there?"

Church stared blankly at Tucker. "Tucker, I hate to tell you this, but... No, I don't hate to tell you this. You're the asshole in this situation. In all situations. You're a terrible human being."

"Whatever." Tucker grumbled, turning to Caboose. "Are you that guy that Church was telling me about?"

Caboose perked up at that. "Church talked about me?"

"Yeah. He told me all the stories. You seem pretty cool. Caboose, right?" Tucker smiled surprisingly softly at Caboose. Church rubbed at his eyes to make sure that he wasn't dreaming. Tucker was actually being nice?

"Uh-huh! I'm Caboose! What's your name?" Caboose nervously rocked on the balls of his feet and shoved his hands into his back pockets.

"Tucker. Did Church manage to get you that job yet or did he fuck you over too?" Tucker winked at Caboose to let him know that he was teasing. Church didn't even know how to react to this side of Tucker.

Caboose nodded enthusiastically. "Yup! I'm gonna work here now! Do you work here?"

"Nope, it just looks like I'll be working out here." Tucker nodded, then waved to Church. "I'm gonna run to the grocery store, want me to pick you up anything? I could drop it by your place, I know that you hate shopping."

Church quickly shook his head. "No thanks, man. I'll see you later." He tapped a couple of words out on his keyboard as Tucker shrugged.

"Alright, dickhead. Don't forget to ask Caboose out. Tex told me all about it, you big, dumb idiot." Tucker grinned at him when Church jumped and stared up at Tucker with a deer-in-the-headlights expression.

Caboose watched as Tucker walked out the door, already staring at his phone. "I'm not sure if I like him. Is he your friend?"

"I guess. Tucker is kind of a douchebag, but who isn't?" Church joked, trying to make his heart stop beating as he forced himself to speak. "Hey, sorry that we were interrupted. But... I was wondering if you wanted to go out with me some time?" Church sped the words at Caboose and quickly looked away.

There was a long pause. "Yeah! Like to Red Bakery?" Caboose grinned happily and nodded.

Church looked at Caboose with surprise, then gave him a confused stare. "You know that I mean, like, on a date, right? Romantically?"

"Yup! Oh man, I'm so excited! Can we go now?" Caboose pointed towards to door excitedly.

Church gave a quick laugh of disbelief, then looked at the clock on his computer. "Sure. I have my lunch break in about five minutes, but I'm sure that Texas will let us go early if she knows why. Where do you wanna go? Red Bakery?"

"Yeah! Can we have more cinnamon rolls?" Caboose waved at Texas, who happened to be walking by with South and Connie. Church shot them a weak smile as they wandered over. Texas started to talk to Caboose about their lunch date, leaving Connie and South to stare at Church with amusement.

South winked at him as Connie obviously eavesdropped on Caboose and Tex's conversation. They were talking about Church leaving early for their lunch at Red Bakery. Texas was nodding in agreement, casting Church satisfied and bragging looks whoever she got the chance.

"You two can take as long as you want, I won't mind. Go see a movie or something, I'll cover the front desk, Church. Hell, just take the rest of the day off," Texas ordered them as she shooed them out the door. Church hurriedly rushed out of the building as Caboose said goodbye to the girls. If he had the chance to get out of work for a few hours, he would take it.

Caboose skipped out of the building and caught up with Church. "Wow, Ms. Texas is really nice! She told me to tell you that she says that she's happy for you! Why did she say that?"

Church shrugged as they walked down the sidewalk. "Tex and I used to be together, but she broke up with me. Still dunno why. Probably because she never liked being in close relationships, no matter the type. I've gotten over it though, we're still friends now, which is good."

"Oh." Caboose sounded disappointed, which almost shocked Church. He looked up at Caboose and playfully bumped his shoulder against his friend's.

"Hey, don't worry, buddy. I like you plenty. I'm glad that you said yes, I was a little nervous about asking you out, to be honest," Church admitted. He tried not to blush as Caboose tilted his head to the the side in curiosity.

"Why were you nervous?"

Church shrugged again. "I dunno. I guess I was afraid that you wouldn't like guys. Or that you just wouldn't like me. I didn't really think that I liked guys until you came along. That's pretty gay, I know. But I'm going on a date with you now, so I can't really complain about things being gay anymore."

Caboose laughed at that. "Don't be silly, Church! I like everyone! Especially you!"

"I thought that you didn't like Tucker?" Church pointed out teasingly as they walked into the bakery. It was pretty full with the lunch crowd, they would have to wait in line this time.

Caboose sniffed at that. "No, I was wrong. I like everybody except for Tucker."

Church chuckled as they shuffled forward in line. "I can understand that. So, what do you want to eat? Just the rolls?"

"Yes! Those were so yummy! One of the best things that I've ever eaten!" Caboose pointed at the display of wonderful smelling cinnamon rolls. Church had to agree with Caboose there, Red Bakery was certainly one of the best places to go.

Before long, it was their turn to order. Church nodded at the cheerful Donut who was working the cash register. "Can I get two more cinnamon rolls?"

Donut's eyes flicked over Caboose, then back to Church with an expectant expression. "So, are you sure that he's _not_ your boyfriend?"

Church sighed and rolled his eyes in exasperation. "We're on a date, Donut. Happy? Can I get my damn cinnamon rolls now or are you gonna keep them hostage until I give you every fucking detail?"

Donut wasn't fazed as he quickly grabbed the pastries. "I expect you to tell me everything when you next come and it's not too crowded."

Church payed for his food and signed the electronic pad at Donut's prompting. Caboose grabbed the brown paper bag from the counter the second Donut set it down. He started to rummage around in it for the cinnamon rolls, but stopped when Church snatched it out of his hands. "Let's find a table first. Bye, Donut."

They wandered around the bakery for a minute before they were able to find an empty table for two people. Once they were sitting down, Church let Caboose take the bigger cinnamon roll and smiled to himself as he bit into it.

"Still good, buddy?" Church asked as he started to eat his own roll.

Mumbling through his food, Caboose nodded. "Even better! Thank you for taking me here, Church!"

Church smiled to himself. "No problem. After we're done, do you wanna go watch a movie back at my place? We never got the chance to watch How To Train Your Dragon 2, huh?"

Caboose bounced in his seat at the idea. "Yes! Can we put blankets on the floor like we did at our sleepover?" He gasped loudly. "Can we have another sleepover?"

"Sure. I don't see why not, as long as we can get to work on time tomorrow. So, that means no staying up late. Wait, did Texas say when you start work?" Church finished off his cinnamon roll and wiped at his mouth with a napkin.

"Tomorrow! I'm really excited! But also a little nervous. I hope that I don't mess anything up." Caboose leaned forward and put his chin in his sticky hands.

Church smiled softly at him. "You'll be fine, buddy. I can help you if you have any trouble, don't worry. Here, you have a bit of stuff around your mouth." He handed Caboose a napkin, who followed Church's example and wiped around his mouth.

"Come on. Let's go home, buddy." Church stood up and stretched, then led Caboose out of the still slightly crowded bakery. Donut waved cheerfully at them as they left. Church gave the cashier a half-smile when Caboose intertwined their fingers and pulled him away.

Church stared down at their hands as they crossed the street to go back to Church's apartment. He blushed when Caboose squeezed his hand gently. He responded by brushing his thumb over Caboose's. Caboose didn't seem to notice the movement as they jogged up the dusty stairs.

"I love How To Train Your Dragon! I'm so excited to watch it with you, Church! Did you like the first one? I got really sleepy at our sleepover and couldn't keep my eyes open." Caboose chattered as they made their way back to Church's place.

"Yeah, I was a little skeptical at first, but I ended up thinking that it was awesome." Church unlocked his door and allowed Caboose to bounce inside. "Do you want some more popcorn this time?" He called out as he emptied his pockets onto his kitchen counter.

He could hear Caboose dragging his couch cushions onto the floor. "Yup!" Caboose yelled back. "Hey, Church? Where are the rest of your blankets?"

"Check my bedroom. Grab some pillows too!" Church responded as he started to microwave a bag of popcorn. Caboose came out of his bedroom carrying a huge pile of blankets and pillows in his arms, a few of them dragging on the ground. Church suppressed a laugh at the sight as the microwave beeped.

He dragged the bag of popcorn out of the microwave and kicked his shoes off by the door. Church could hear his TV being turned on in the other room as Caboose started to get comfortable. He walked into his living room and set the steaming bag of popcorn on his coffee table. Church smiled at Caboose, who was tangled in all of Church's blankets.

Church pulled up the movie himself, not minding the fact that he had to pay for it. When he sat down on his couch cushions, Caboose pulled him into his lap. Church bit his lip and leaned back against Caboose's chest as the movie started.

As much as he wanted to, Church could barely pay attention to the movie. The way that Caboose's arms wrapped around him and the way that Caboose breathed deeply and rested his chin against Church's head greatly distracted him. He could've stayed there, laying against Caboose, forever.

Unfortunately, Church and Caboose eventually both had to move. The next day, they went to work together, holding hands the entire walk there. Texas, Connie, and South had demanded the details of the date. Church had begrudgingly given them at the threat of Texas telling everyone embarrassing stories about him. Caboose ended up loving working there. He often waved to Church from the snack stand when the flow of people died down a bit.

To everyone's surprise, including Washington's, Tucker came back to the gym. He stopped being creepy and actually tried to listen to Wash's instructions. Church had been shocked when Tucker started to be more healthy and actually enjoy it. It was like he was seeing a whole new person.

After a couple more dates, Church asked Caboose to be his boyfriend. He had blushed and grinned and said yes. Carolina, who had witnessed it, told everyone else at the gym. Before the end of the day, all of them had congratulated both Caboose and Church. Even Tucker had been surprisingly cool with it.

Caboose moved in with Church at six months. The two of them also hung out at Church's apartment anyways and all of Caboose's stuff had mysteriously found its way into Church's place. They they figured that they might as well make it official and Caboose started living with Church. Luckily, Caboose didn't need to pay for his own apartment anymore.

It was about eight months since the beginning of their relationship that a panicked Tucker came up to Church while he was sitting at his desk. "Dude, can I ask you something? It might be a kinda weird question, but I don't really know who else to ask."

Church looked up from his work and raised an eyebrow. "Sure, Tucker. What's up?"

"You like guys, right? So, is Washington, like, super attractive to you or something?" Tucker wrung his hands together and refused to look Church in the eye.

"Um, I guess? He's definitely not bad looking, I can tell you that." Church exited out of the page he had been on. He could tell that this problem would need his full attention.

Tucker shook his head. "No, I don't mean sort of hot. I mean do you think he's really, really hot? Like, 'you would go gay for him even though you thought you were straight' hot."

"Um, I don't know? I mean... Holy fucking shit, Tucker. You like him, don't you?" Church's jaw dropped at the thought. Tucker was probably the straightest seeming guy that Church knew and here he was, asking him for advice on guys.

Tucker buried his face in his hands and mumbled, "Shut the fuck up! I hate you, you could not have said that any louder."

"Wow, dude. I can totally see it now. You should ask him out, I'm like ninety percent sure he would say yes." Church grinned lopsidedly at his embarrassed friend.

"Ninety percent isn't good enough, asshole." Tucker hissed, then shut up as Wash walked up to them.

"Hey, Church," he greeted, then turned to Tucker. "You left your car keys in the locker room, you might need those."

Tucker swore about being late to get Junior, then rushed off to go find them. Church looked Wash up and down as Wash stared after Tucker. He suddenly connected the pieces in his mind and smiled even wider.

"Go ask him out," Church suggested, looking pointedly at the locker room that Tucker had go inside.

Wash jumped and his cheeks turned pink. "W-what are you even talking about?"

Church sighed and pointed at the opening locker room door. "You have about two minutes before he has to leave to get his kid. Either kiss him or ask him out. It's pretty obvious that you both like each other."

Wash looked ready to protest, but then he shrugged. "Alright. Fuck it."

"Sorry about that, I've been pretty forgetful late-" Tucker was cut off mid sentence by Wash grabbing him by the waist and pressing their lips together. After the initial shock, Tucker instantly dropped his car keys on the counter in favor of wrapping his arms around Wash's neck.

Church gasped, then looked away awkwardly. He hadn't really expected Wash to actually do anything, let alone make out with Tucker right in front of him. Texas walked into the room and stopped in her tracks at the sight. Church shrugged helplessly and she grinned widely.

The two finally broke away and Church opened his mouth to complain, but Wash was pulled toward the door by Tucker. Unfortunately, Church had to hear his friend growl, "Come on. I'm calling a sitter."

Texas jogged over to Church's desk as soon as they were gone. "What the fuck was that?"

"For once, Texas, I have no fucking clue. Can I bleach my ears and eyes now? I never asked to see that." Church shuddered at the memory of his friends making out.

Caboose, who had missed the entire thing, walked over happily. "Hi, Texas! Church, can we go home now?"

Church tried to forget what he had just witnessed and nodded at his boyfriend. "Yeah. Let's go home, buddy. I've had a long Friday."

They waved goodbye to Texas and started their walk home. Caboose skipped along and told Church about a funny thing he had heard that day. When he was done with that story, Church told him about Tucker and Washington. Caboose thought that it was sweet and Church thought that it was alright, as long as he never needed to see it or hear about it again. He doubted that he would ever be able to achieve that, though.

They finally reached their apartment building and Church hit the up button by the elevator. As they waited, he stood on his tiptoes and kissed Caboose. Caboose smiled against his lips and put his large, warm hands on Church's chest.

The elevator dinged and they broke apart to get on. Luckily, there was nobody else in there, so they had the small space to themselves. Church turned to Caboose and started to tell him a knock knock joke that Wyoming had told him, when the elevator shuddered to a halt.

Church froze and looked up at the lights as they flickered out. Caboose whimpered and moved closer to Church's side. Church was silent for about ten seconds, then he kicked the wall of the elevator. "Fuck this thing."


End file.
